<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Not Even Close… To The End by ClaireFisher</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29929479">Not Even Close… To The End</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClaireFisher/pseuds/ClaireFisher'>ClaireFisher</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Words In Between [22]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Psych (TV 2006)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Father and Son, Henry Knows Best, Post-Ep s05e03 Not Even Close...Encounters, References to Ep s01e11: He Loves Me He Loves Me Not He Loves Me Oops He's Dead, References to Ep s01e16: Scary Sherry: Bianca's Toast, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:07:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,799</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29929479</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClaireFisher/pseuds/ClaireFisher</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Juliet was the sun which Shawn orbited around, the light in his eyes, and the sparkler in his mischievous smile.</p><p>Episode 05x03: Not Even Close... Encounters</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Henry Spencer &amp; Shawn Spencer, Juliet O'Hara/Shawn Spencer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Words In Between [22]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1817497</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Not Even Close… To The End</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi guys!</p><p>New extension here!!! This one was a request of the sweet sweet Montecristo23 (Alice, I hope this is what you were expecting! - I tried my best!)</p><p>Also, this is my first time writing Henry, which is way out of my comfort zone! I'm not 100% sure this is that good but I tried ;) I think Henry is a great source for insight on Shawn and Jules, so fingers crossed that, even though this story has no dialogues in it, I captured his thoughts and relationship with Shawn right!</p><p>I hope you all enjoy this little piece, and please, leave a comment, suggestion, or anything else you feel like! I love to read your opinions and the feedback is always appreciated &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Henry William Spencer.</p><p>Fifth-ish.</p><p>Former Detective with acute observational skills, killing aim, calculated moves, precise steps, sharpened ability to knock down an army. </p><p>Calloused heart. </p><p>Divorced. </p><p>A man who, even under different lenses, seemed to remain the old grumpy, hardened by the life and line of job, Detective. Relentless in his justice, and on the verge of a heart attack each time his beloved son seemed to put himself, and others for that matter, in danger, not caring about the consequences, waltzing into the fire with the same grace of an elephant, and not getting burned by a last-minute miracle. </p><p>When Henry first perceived his son’s talents and abilities, his already thoroughly calculated and written down plan for Shawn’s life and career, seemed only to be closer to happen and more brilliant. </p><p>After 23 hours of labor, the kid must be something special. </p><p>Strong. </p><p>Though. </p><p>Just like his dad. </p><p>But, the more Henry tried to inflict his ideal life planning on his reckless, wild child, the more he damaged that line bonding son and father, weakening it without really realizing it. Instead of Henry seeing his son for who he was, the older Spencer decided to be a dreamer, and see his son for who he could be.</p><p>Shawn had so much potential, and intelligence, cleverness, that if correctly sharpened and trained, could lead him to be a brilliant cop. Maybe the best that the department has ever seen. Shawn would be great, would be important. There would be a bust of him carved in silver, standing at the City Hall’s entrance, and more commendations prizes from the mayor that Shawn's shelves could hold.</p><p>It was a brilliant future.</p><p>But as life went by, and Shawn Henry Spencer grew up, his dad had the unpleasant experience of seeing all his expectations being shattered to the ground. </p><p>His son was unfocused and carefree, bending the rules to his own taste and benefit, taking advantage of his skills and that gifted memory of his to earn lunch money and hit on cute girls.</p>

<p>Despite it all, Henry buried his disappointment, resolving in hardening his approach to his fierce son, increasing the training, holding the leash tighter, trying to shove some sense in that reckless, powerful mind of Shawn.</p><p>Of course, like pretty much all too perfect plans, it all backfired, and instead of witnessing Shawn apprehend the bad guys, Henry had to cuff and book his own son. Needless to say, that night took a damper on their already damaged relationship and cut the last string holding them together in that birthright bond.</p><p>Shawn rode away, leaving his father, who was already wifeless, more alone than he could ever understand. </p><p>But Henry was though, was calloused, prepared to face the fight. Bring it all on, he could handle it. </p><p>Or he thought so.</p><p>But then, days blurred into months, and the pain was too hard to deal with, along with the guilt of never understanding that, accepting his child for who he is, should have been enough.</p><p>So Henry ran away too, from the memories and the pain, coming back only when he heard that his son was back too. In his time away, a forced reflection led the father to realize that, despite anything else, he was proud of his son. Despite where they stood, and the bleeding wounds, he loved his kid more than anything in this world.</p><p>And then, as if a miracle, there was Shawn, and all the hate, and the guilt, and accusation too. But he was there, and Henry would finally have a chance to rebuild a dying relationship. This time though, he vowed to, despite never letting the guard down, never going easy on Shawn, watch his kid intently, not to sharpen anything, but to truly understand who his son was. To show how much he loved him. A love so deep that caused Henry to accept that makeshift career his son decided for. </p><p>Psychic, a crap. But well, all in all, he was a detective, nevertheless.</p><p>Over the years, Henry had such an extensive archive of facts about his son, collected in his mind that, from time to time, he wondered if writing a book or registering them, somehow, would be more practical, less tiring perhaps. But he didn't have time to write things down. Shawn, despite being an adult now, would still be as time-consuming as he was as a kid. </p><p>But if anything, saving his son’s butt frequently, allowed Henry to grow closer to him, and for that, he wouldn’t complain at all. Well, maybe only in front of Shawn, to keep up the pose of the angry, strict, father. But the joy of having his boy there, oh, was something he would relieve each night before bed. </p><p>And in all those observations, all those moments, which only increased once Henry finally started to work back at the station - a formality, really, because, let’s be honest, he has been helping and there, from the beginning- allowed the former cop to find the common denominator behind his son’s change of behavior, and the real reason behind this sudden change of life paths, going from a wander biker, who had almost fifth previous jobs, to a still-in-the-process settler, who didn’t have an apartment but was paying a considerable lease to a makeshift home. Who didn’t have a car but never took his bike out of the city. A guy who never paid his bills on time but was becoming ashamed of this fact, especially when it was mentioned in front of a certain blond person. A guy who only had fire and freedom in his eyes, but who now was showing fondness in the idea of staying put. </p><p>A lot of people had a certain level of involvement in Shawn’s settlement. </p><p>Gus was a big factor. The best friend, the partner in crime, literally, on many occasions. The friendly shoulder, and the supporter to all Shawn’s shenanigans. His brother from another mother. Of course, Shawn would miss him while in his adventures around the globe, and restoring that friendship only showed the younger Spencer what he was missing out on.</p><p>Then there was Chief Vick, and her apparently blind support over Shawn and his antics, vouching for him a chance that was exactly what was missing for him to stay. </p><p>Lassiter, as strange as it may sound, after all, he was the guy who arrested Shawn in the first place, played a very delicate but crucial role, forcing the psychic to sharpen himself until he could beat the Head Detective to the punch. The need for competition motivated Shawn to be better without Henry having to waste his energy, at least partially, in reminding his son to stop lazing around. </p><p>But all those people didn't hold a candle to the power the one Juliet O’Hara had over his son. </p><p>Oh, no.</p><p>No one was capable of giving a better reason for him to stay than Juliet.</p><p>She was what woke Shawn in the morning, what drove him to the station frequently without real motif or apparent reason to be there. She was what kept him awake at night when she had been hurt or was in mild danger, and the one Shawn, despite his better judgment, would bend at any wish she had. </p><p>Juliet was the sun which Shawn orbited around, the light in his eyes, and the sparkler in his mischievous smile. </p><p>Henry didn’t take long to realize that, when regarding her, his son didn't have a chance to stand up, but would surrender to her love and beautiful eyes. When it came to Juliet all bets were off. </p><p>For a while, he thought that this whole flirting, banter, between the two, was old school bickering and the flame would soon die, the feeling not strong enough to fuel it. But, it took one more serious case, one time Juliet was in the face of real danger, and Shawn threw all the little caution he had to the window, ran up the stairs of a “haunted” place he vowed never to set foot inside, holding himself to not put a bullet in the head of the young woman who worked up Juliet to the level of her almost losing herself completely.</p><p>From that night on, Henry had no doubt in his heart that Juliet was definitely something special. Different. And, perhaps, the only one to ever hold his son in Santa Barbara.</p><p>One year became two and suddenly Shawn was back for good, settled, and, to Henry’s bigger delight, happy.</p><p>A lot happened, though, with them deceiving mental criminals, and, of course, no one liked to remember the nightmare it was Yin and Yang, memories still fresh, and the only time Henry thought Shawn would run away for good, especially when Juliet flew to Miami for three weeks. </p><p>But, to prove him wrong, Shawn stayed, and even more, was going extreme to make sure Juliet recovered and was back on the horse. </p><p>He would say, but Henry didn’t need his son to do so to understand how much that whole ordeal was affecting Shawn, how much guilt he carried on his shoulders, for everyone, and even more for Juliet. </p><p>Forgiving it would be a long journey but, somehow, Henry was confident that Juliet would be a key piece in the lightning of his son’s burden.</p><p>So, that afternoon, as he sat by his porch, beer in hand, and the waves crashing down at the shore, ocean breeze cooling the hot spring air, Henry Willian Spencer, divorced, a former cop, now police consultant, who still possessed acute observational skills and a killing aim, with not so much more calculated moves, neither precise steps, smiled.</p><p>Because Shawn was there, home, happy, and only a few steps of finding the most important thing in this life, that one thing that settles down a man, that causes him to cross oceans for, to kill and die for, to vow and give his heart for.</p><p>Love.</p><p>Love for a woman that Henry was fond of, proud to see grow into a spectacular woman, skilled and intelligent, one of the best cops he had ever known, and with a heart so golden and pure, that was enough to soften his calloused one. </p><p>Juliet O’Hara was the daughter he never had. </p><p>And just like earlier that day, Henry was sure that he would be more than happy to welcome her into his family.</p><p>But that, again, if Shawn didn’t screw that up.</p><p>Maybe it was time to give his son a call, and if any of his thoughts regarding Juliet and what Shawn should do next, any trace of <i>mushiness<i> or softness in his tone slip though, Henry could always blame it on the beer and his bubble baths.</i></i></p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>